Where fast-moving science meets public policy
Posted on 25 September 2001
High-calibre social science research students are wanted by the University of York to research the fast-moving and sensitive area of genetic science.
They will study the increasingly important connection between scientific and public policy decisions. They will also look at the issues raised for society by recent and future developments like Dolly the sheep, genetic testing and engineering.
Dr Nik Brown of the Science and Technology Studies Unit (SATSU), based in the Department of Sociology at the University, said: "The recent cloning and GM debates caught everyone, especially governments, off guard. In the future, scientists and policy-makers will have to work much more closely together. We now need training like this to overcome the divide between science and government."
Funding for the research students comes from a £100,000 grant by the European Commission under its 'Marie Curie Training Site' scheme. "Our work at York on the implications of new genetics is well-established", Dr Brown added. "We hope to attract students who will eventually work in policy think-tanks, science communication, or the civil service. Under the Marie Curie scheme they'll come from across the European Union."
The research students will look in particular at the changing definitions of health, risk and social exclusion in relation to genetic factors. They will also examine the social management of larger scale innovation in genetic technologies, particularly within the pharmaceutical sector.
Notes to editors:
- SATSU, The Science & Technology Studies Unit, is a specialist unit dedicated to rigorous analysis of the contemporary science and technology environment. It has an established international reputation as a centre of excellence in the sociology of science, knowledge and technology.